


Really Quite Stunning

by neonnight89



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts, Hurt/Comfort, Next-Gen, Yule Ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 14:23:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9328658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonnight89/pseuds/neonnight89
Summary: The ball is in full swing.  An abandoned Scorpius Malfoy wanders away from the dancing and into the gardens.  What he finds there is nothing he's seen before: Rose Weasley crying.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I wrote this a few years ago, but decided to post it on here. I revamped it a bit, tweaking the story here and there, but the core of it is the same. Hope you enjoy!

Scorpius sipped on the punch as he let his eyes wander over the dancers at the Ball. His own date had gone to her room half an hour ago telling him she was sick. By the pale look on her face, he believed her. It was either she was sick or she had been frightened of the ghosts who had decided to swoop in for a peek at how the dance was going. She _had_ been frightfully absent in October...

He shook his head and stood, setting his glass down on the table before wandering around the edge of the dance floor. He had long ago draped his tux jacket and tie on a random chair. He'd get them later. Not that he thought he would be staying very late anyway. His eyes caught on the door to the small gardens outside. With a speculative glace back towards his jacket, he shrugged and decided to go without. Making his way toward the doorway, he wondered what the Yule committee had done with the space.

A form almost blundered into him in the doorway and he leveled a scowl at the other student and his stuttered apologies. Rolling his eyes, Scorpius just stepped out of the way and let the other boy stumble back toward the golden light of the ballroom. Harold Newbaum. That was the kid's name. A year below Scorpius and rather a bit of an arse, to be honest. Which was saying something that Scorpius was calling him that. He tried to hold judgement on others as a result of his own distant attitude. There was the occasional comment that he would say without considering the consequences. Harold was just an intentional asshole, which was a whole other breed.

Of course, the boy was able to turn on the charm, so most people just assumed his nasty comments and actions had only the best intentions. People ignored stories and rumors as long as they weren't the ones being targeted, it seemed. 

Shaking himself from thoughts of Harold, Scorpius let his eyes drift across the gardens. It was empty, as the Ball was still going pretty strong, but it was beautiful. Someone had set up a spell to keep the area warm and fend off the snow that was falling just beyond its borders. He was all the more glad he hadn't brought his jacket. The plants within the space were exotic and flourishing, smelling pleasantly sweet and spicy. There were small floating lights all around, drifting through the air lazily almost as if drugged fireflies. The fountains seemed to attract the most lights, ethereal clouds swirling around them in a lethargic dance.

He stood for a while just watching them with a small smile on his lips. Then he heard a small noise to his right. Eyebrows drawing down, he moved toward the sound, knowing there was a stone bench somewhere over there beyond the pillar. Quietly, he approached and was brought to a pause as he spotted the source of the sound: Rose Weasley hunched over, arms wrapped around herself. There was a telltale sniffle as he stood frozen. He looked back toward the castle, frowning as he put two and two together.

He leaned against the pillar, looking up at the stars, “Nice weather, eh?”

There was a small shocked sound as Rose wiped at her face, “What the hell? Go away.”

Peeking around the pillar at her, he lifted his eyebrows, “What? Can't a bloke comment on the weather anymore?”

She scowled at him, “I don't need one ass replaced by another, thank you very much.”

Putting his hand on his chest, he gasped, “Oh, the wound you have inflicted! I can hardly bear the pain!” When all he received was a glare, her eyes too bright in the soft glow, he winced, “Ah, sorry.” 

She rolled her eyes and turned her face away from him as silence fell. He took her in out of the corner of his eyes. He had never really talked much to Rose since she had made a strict point of avoiding him all through their years at Hogwarts together. It hadn't been a leap to assume it had been encouraged by her family. After all the stories his dad had told him about their school days, Scorpius really didn't blame them. 

Her hair was pulled back at the top, the rest allowed to cascade over her shoulders in perfect curls. Her dress was a dark blue with bare shoulders, showcasing the freckles that were dusted across them like constellations. 

She was really quite stunning.

He blinked at the stray thought. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he mumbled, “I'm going bloody mad.”

“You're still here?”

He looked over and sighed, “Yeah. I don't especially like leaving crying girls all by their lonesome when they're dressed up to have a good time.” The blush that flared across her cheeks paired with the shocked expression he received had him stumbling, “No! Not _that_ sort of good time. Blimey. You wanted to have fun, dance, drink punch...y'know?”

Rose stared at him for a moment before a small snort of laughter escaped her. Next thing he knew, she was just grinning at him, giving him a considering look. “You should have seen your face,” she threw at him.

Lifting an eyebrow, he retorted, “Should've seen yours. I guarantee it was better.”

They smiled at each other for a few moments before the music drifting out from the building changed to a slower song. He glanced back toward the brightly lit school before making a impulse decision. Walking forward, he held out his hand. She stared at it like it was a foreign object. She looked back up at him with wide eyes.

He smiled softly at her, “I like this song. No better way of enjoying it than a dance with a pretty girl.”

The color ran across her cheeks again and he found himself thoroughly enjoying it. Carefully, she put her hand in his and let him lead her into the middle of the garden near the biggest fountain. He pulled her closer and wrapped his other hand around her back before leading her into the dance. The lights floated around them, transferring their attention from the fountain to the two figures. Up close, he felt like he was actually taking a good look at Rose for the first time. He had never really gotten a chance to before. 

She looked up and met his eyes and he saw the small color rise again. It brought out the freckles that danced across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. He decided he liked them. Quite a bit. Rose was so perfectly elegant and he found himself wondering how he hadn't noticed before.

As they swayed, he felt her start to relax and she shifted closer. As much as he was enjoying it, he felt that he should start talking. He cleared his throat a bit, “So...Harold. Bit of a slimy bloke?”

Her face scrunched in the most adorable way, “Understatement of the year. He's an ass.”

Scorpius laughed softly, “What did he do this time?”

She let go of his hand and shifted her hands to clasp them behind his neck. Shrugging, she sighed, “Tried to kiss me, I turned him down. He called me all sorts of bad names. I shouldn't have been crying over it. Quite dumb, really.” 

His eyebrows lifted, “Turned him down? What for? I thought good ol' Harold was the most eligible bachelor for the ball.”

Rose snorted, “Yeah, my bum. The most eligible bachelor got snatched up months ago.” 

He grinned, enjoying the way her cheeks started to flush again, “Oh? And who is the lucky man that you wish you'd gone with instead then?”

She blinked at him, “What?”

“Who is the most eligible bachelor?”

Scowling, she slid her hands down to his arms and stepped back, “ _I_ didn't want to come to the Yule Ball with the most eligible bachelor! Why would you think that?”

“You're blushing,” he retorted with a wicked grin. She spluttered for a moment, at a loss for words, and so he took the opportunity to pull her back in, his arms wrapping comfortably around her low back. “But really. Help a poor bloke out who tries his best to stay out of the Hogwarts' gossip. Who was the prime candidate for the ball?”

Her cheeks were only a few shades lighter than her hair now as she tried to figure out where to put her hands when in such close proximity. He was thoroughly enjoying seeing the Gryffindor Keeper - normally so brazen and confident - at a loss for what to do. Finally, she returned her arms to where they previously had been around his neck and let him continue their swaying. 

She looked up at him then, lifting an eyebrow, “You do that well of ignoring gossip?”

Grinning, he nodded, “After having a father who thrived in it, one learns to try and avoid their predecessor's mistakes. Gossip makes enemies and also makes the wrong kinds of friends.”

Rose's eyebrows drew down as she took in that information before murmuring, “Guess you're dad may not be as bad as mine makes him out to be.”

He chuckled, “Well, he used to be. My mum's helped him change a lot. He's a good bloke and a good father, just got a bad past he can't shake.”

She surprised him by resting her cheek on his chest and he felt his own face warm at the intimate gesture. As if she were actually comfortable with him holding her. He could hear the smile in her voice as she replied, “Well, you're not as bad as the world tries to make you out to be either, Mr. Malfoy.”

“Oh, please. Call me Scorpius. Mr. Malfoy is my father.”

She looked up at him in surprise, “Was that...?”

He laughed, “ _Finding Nemo_ reference. Sorry. Mum loves that movie and it's my favorite line.”

Shaking her head, she grinned at him, “You just keep surprising me.”

“It's what I aim to do, darlin',” he responded with a cheeky grin.

She watched him intently for a moment, and he turned his head to glance at the lights that were now swirling around them. It was breathtaking. His eyes slipped back down to the lovely creature in his arms and he smiled at her. This sort of thing probably would never happen again. After tonight, they would go back to being strangers, albeit more friendly ones. 

“Scorpius?”

She pulled him out of his reverie with the quiet word, and he met her gaze. “Did you really want to know who the most eligible bachelor was?”

“Sure, why not?”

She smiled at him, “You.” And then she shocked him by grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him forward, lifting herself up on tiptoes to kiss him. He froze in surprise at the soft feel of her lips on his, but quickly adapted to the scenario, his hands pulling her closer, one drifting up to tangle in her hair to cradle her head delicately as he responded. It was intoxicating to be kissing Rose Weasley surrounded by ethereal lights. Her initial brazenness had disappeared for a moment until he took up the reigns and led her in a different dance altogether. Her hands were pulling him closer, running through his hair, as if they could not decide where to stay, as if they wanted to savor everything.

A small sound of satisfaction slid from Rose and they broke apart, staring at each other in surprise, trying to catch their breath. He working through what had just happened. He trailed his hand through her hair after a moment, clearing his throat, “Um...I just want to point out that...you just kissed me.”

Her cheeks were an attractive shade of pink as she started to laugh, leaning her forehead against his chest as she did. “Yes. Yes I did kiss you.”

Scorpius licked his lips, still tasting hers there, “Erm...why?”

She lifted her face once more, “Maybe because you quoted one of my favorite movies. Or because you called Harold slimy. And maybe it's just because a good guy showed up, cheered up a girl that he barely knew even though she was a Weasley and he was a Malfoy. It could also just be because you're bloody attractive and I couldn't help myself. But I won't tell you which.”

He laughed, “I like the last one the best, I think.” Rose rolled her eyes at him before looking away to lights that swirled around them. She was stunning. Always had been. Reaching out, he gently tilted her face toward him. Her eyes met his and he smiled before lowering his lips to hers once more, though it was a different kind of kiss. It was gentle and soft and he watched as Rose closed her eyes at the sensation, her cheeks flushing lightly. She was stunning and beautiful and he was still wondering how he hadn't noticed before.

But he wouldn't soon forget.

“Happy Yule Ball, Rose.”


End file.
